American Idol has become well known for helping to launch the careers not only of winners on the program, but also of contestants who may not have emerged victorious but who proved to be popular with the national audience during their tenure on the program. Carmen Rasmusen finished as far back as sixth place on the 2003 edition of American Idol, but the flurry of publicity that surrounded her performance was enough to push her to pursue her dream of being a country music performer.
Hailing from the Canadian city of Edmonton, Alberta, Rasmusen has had music in her blood since she was a child. Graduating from piano lessons and public performances at the age of 5 to professional singing instruction in her teenage years, she realized her dream of performing in front of millions when she made the televised rounds of American Idol in 2003. This break enabled her to self-release an EP in 2004 and then 3 years later sign with Lofton Creek Records to release her new album, Nothin’ Like the Summer.
The first single, also titled “Nothin’ Like the Summer” came out on August 24, 2007 and while it failed to chart, Rasmusen has been able to tour to promote both the single and the album. She is currently on the road and her most notable performance to date saw her opening for country music star Tracy Byrd. “To have a career after Idol takes a lot of hard work,” said Rasmusen in a recent interview, “and I am willing to do everything I need to do to have that continued success. Country is my home and I am here to stay.”